I guessed that’s the way it felt when I woke that morning to the lazy rays of light streaming through her bedroom window.
To Eden’s hair bunched in my face and her sweet body tucked against mine.
That honeyed scent filling my senses and her goodness and grace filling my spirit.
I hugged her tighter, the girl dressed again in the pajamas she’d had on last night. I buried my nose at the nape of her neck and inhaled. Like I could inscribe myself with the moment. Spend an eternity in it.
Then I was grinning wider when I felt the bustle of energy come bursting through the bedroom door along with a stampede of tiny feet.
“Dad, hey, Dad! There you are!” From the foot of it, Gage dove onto the bed, right between us. I shifted a bit to take my kid into my arms.
He grinned down at me, all dimples and light, voice fueled by excitement. “Did we get to have a sleepover at Miss Murphy’s house? Like you were hopin’ when we left? Because I fell asleep so much in the car and then I woke up and we were here. Did I miss it? Did you get our girl? Did you, Dad?”
Light laughter filtered free.
Last night, when I’d picked him up from Logan’s house, I’d woken him a bit, and with those little arms clinging to my neck, he’d wanted to know what we were doing. I’d admitted we were going to get our girl. Kid had taken it to heart.
Yeah, buddy, me, too.
“Looks like it,” I said, running my fingers through his hair, feeling sweeping over me so intense it locked the air in my lungs, that feeling only stronger when Eden rolled around to face us.
Girl blinking through her sleep with a crush of emotion flooding from that warm, sweet gaze.
And there was Gage, tucked right in the middle of us.
Gage looked at her. “What do you think, Miss Murphy? Did we get you? Did we? Do we get to keep you?”
He wasn’t even looking at me, and I could feel the force of his smile. The overwhelming joy. His love and belief.
She touched his face, and over the top of his head, autumn eyes found mine before she shifted her focus back on him. “You already had me.”
He threw himself on top of her, hugging her tight. “Now we get to keep you forever.”
I wrapped my arms around both of them.
Yeah.
I did.
It felt so right.
Gage howled with laughter, and Eden giggled and looked at me with that face that shined so bright.
Joy. Joy. Joy.
God, I didn’t know it existed like this.
Then I tugged them around just a bit, playfully, with all that happiness that washed and spread and glowed. “And I’m not letting go,” I claimed, a tease wound in my voice but the words a promise. “Keeping you forever.”
Eden wrapped her arms around us, too.
“Imma Gage sandwich!” Gage shouted, though it was muffled in the blankets and pillows and our bodies.
By our love.
“Gage sandwiches are my favorite,” Eden played, tickling my son, soft and sweet.
Gage kicked and howled and begged for more. “Your favorite, favorite?” he asked, trying to hold onto his shaking belly.
“My favorite, favorite. Although I kind of like your dad, too.”
A tease played all over her stunning face.
My chest squeezed.
So damn tight.
On my side, I propped myself onto my elbow, reached over, and cupped her cheek.
Gage slowed, just smiling up between us as I stared over at the girl. “Kinda like you, too. Kinda a lot.”
Eden took my hand on her cheek and pressed it to her mouth, her lips a whisper against my palm. “So much.”
“That’s called love, right, Dad, right?” Gage asked, close to a shout, looking at me for approval the way he did.
“Yeah, buddy, that’s called love.” I was looking at Eden when I said it.
Gage giggled. “Yup, definitely love. Whipped. That’s what Uncle Logan said.”
“Totally whipped,” I said.
No shame.
A smile danced over Eden’s delicious mouth, and I leaned over and pecked a kiss to it, thumb brushing the apple of her cheek. “Why don’t you take a shower and Gage and I will make breakfast?”
“You two better be careful…a girl could get used to this.”
“You better get used to it, Miss Murphy. If we’re gonna keep you, we gotta make sure we take care of you. Just like my dad takes care of me. That’s what people do who love you, you know?”
Her laughter was almost a whimper. Love spilling out. She ran her fingers through his hair. “Then I think you both had better expect me to take care of you, too.”
Gage beamed. “Because you love us.”
“Yes, Gage, because I love you both.”
Scrambling onto his knees, he pecked a kiss to her cheek before he went scampering out the door.
Soon as he was out of sight, I eased off the bed, took her hand and guided her to standing, kissed her deep.